AUSTIN (KXAN) — Imagine caring for a loved one with chronic illnesses, and not being able to get them immediate hospital care when their health declines.
That was the reality for Hays County resident Harriet Greenlee, who recently tried taking her elderly father to an emergency room.
Greenlee said her father's kidneys are failing and that he also has issues with his lungs.
She tried taking him to St. David's Hospital in south Austin on Tuesday, where she said she was told there were zero beds available in its emergency room.
"The ER looked like a mass ward," Greenlee said. "Patients lined the hallways. My dad needed to be admitted and there are ZERO beds. None at St. David's, Seton, Baylor Scott and White."
Greenlee said she's had to take her father to the ER five times since December — and hasn't seen it as bad as it is now.
"Stop being inconsiderate and take off the rose-colored glasses," Greenlee said.
Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra told KXAN very often county residents are being moved to Austin hospitals, which is also making an impact.
"[It is] in part, because of the way they are set up to manage the COVID-response," Becerra said. "It is absolutely a by-product of what's happening here. We're just trying to remind people that this is serious... you're going to bog down our healthcare system because you don't want to get vaccinated."
As of Monday, Austin-Travis County has reached the threshold to trigger Stage 5 risk-based guidelines, although health officials have not officially announced the move.
This story will be updated after KXAN News at 5 p.m. by reporter Jala Washington.
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